Sunday, April 9, 2017

Are you number 8?

According to two different lists, the octopus is the seventh most intelligent animals on Earth.  They can solve puzzles, use tools, and communicate?  What number are you?  Are you as intelligent as an octopus?


Not only do octopus have amazing gripping power, several hearts, blue blood, and detachable arms, but they are also a lot like Houdini.


Just this week an article was published about this species being able to recode their DNA.  Do you remember when we learned about protein synthesis in the second unit this semester?  (DNA to mRNA to tRNA to amino acids)  Octopus can actually change their RNA.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/science/octopus-squid-intelligence-rna-editing.html

This week we are going to write about the octopus which is way cooler than you could have ever imagined.  Watch the videos and read the article.  In a scholarly paragraph, please respond to the videos and article.  What did you learn?  What did you like?  Do you think you are as intelligent as an octopus?  Can you think of an example of why changing the RNA would be beneficial to the octopus?  Why would changing RNA cause the octopus to have slower evolution?  What other animals show superior intelligence?  Also you need to comment on at least one of your peers.

93 comments:

  1. Octopi are very interesting creatures that are so complex, that most people don't know half of their abilities. What I learned from those videos is that male octopi have detachable sex organs. What I liked is that while they talked about the intelligence of these creatures, they showed us what they did, such as twisting off the cap of a bottle, or popping off a top to get food. Yes, i do believe that an octopus can have intelligence. I can't really think of a positive example for a change in RNA, but it would slow down the process of evolution do to it would have to change it's RNA before it could evolve. Gorillas actually show superior intelligence in some cases, here's a link to a video showing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNuZ4OE6vCk

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    1. TJ-
      I love Koko the gorilla. There are some awesome clips with her.

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    2. That's so cool how Penny taught Koko how to do sign language and it's amazing how great of a bond they share

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    3. Primates are definitely interesting intelligent creatures. Although I didn't mention gorillas I did mention chimpanzees. It is quite incredible the things they can do.

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  2. I learned that octopuses systems for defense and survival are much more complex than many other organisms including humans. They have ink to mask there smell from predators, there arms grow back, and they have a special adaptation that allows them to blend in with there surroundings. Something that I liked about these articles/ videos is that they explained the processes behind how these adaptations were formed or used. They did not simply list them. I believe that octopuses are intelligent, but still not as intelligent as us. If they were as intelligent as us, they would have evolved to make certain things to help them survive (tools, weapons, and other items). RNA editing is beneficial to the octopus, because it can help create proteins that were not originally coded in the DNA. Although RNA editing slows evolution, it must still be worth it or octopuses would not do it. Evolution is slowed in octopuses because they have more RNA recoding sites than humans and less regular cells. Much like octopuses, dolphins are also very intelligent creatures. While humans only utilize about 10% of there brains, dolphins can use as much as 20%. Although this is true, based on the articles I think that octopuses are more intelligent. Another intelligent animal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzfqPQm-ThU

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    1. Super cool video. Who would have thought that dolphins can make a fishing net out of mud?

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    2. It's so cool that dolphins have figured out how to create mud fishing nets, and the circular patterns of their nets remind me of our own fishing nets. Perhaps this is where we got the idea. I also agree that humans are smarter than octopus's as if they had our level of intelligence they surly would have developed some form of civilization as they would have realized there is strength in numbers just as we humans did.

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  3. I cannot believe that red octopus had fit through that tiny little hole. That was insane, much like most of the astonishing traits that make the octopus unique. While I knew about the octopus's ink, arm regrowth, and camouflage ability, I had not known the octopus had three hearts or that octopuses live for such a short period of time. I do think I am smarter than the octopus, because while the octopus may be able to change colors and grab the weight of 35 pounds with one suction cup, I would like to see any octopus get an A plus on the honors geometry final exam. Changing the RNA may be beneficial to the octopus by influencing behavior and changing proteins based on their environment, which is the reason these slimy creatures can change colors and camouflage. However, RNA changing reduces mutations which can be beneficial to the evolution of the organism. Perhaps that is why octopuses don't live longer than 4 years. Other organisms, such as chimpanzees, elephants, gorillas, dogs, and dolphins are also extremely intelligent, but can also live longer.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdw1yVbE2FU

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    1. Aidan,
      That clip is awesome. I thought dogs were supposed to be smarter than cats.

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    2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jf6k2dN02Q here's another video of a cat being intelligent. I've always believed that cats were smarter than dogs, but no one listens to me

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    3. Mia...you are the cat whisperer...did you teach that cat how to do that?

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    4. I love the fact that you are so sassy about getting that A and I totally agree with you. I wonder why they only live for about 4 years then die if they're so intelligent?

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  4. This week's blog post taught me a lot about octopuses, but what i found most interesting was how octopuses, despite their size, can fit through very small spaces. I like how the octopuses can bite off their own arms if it is infected and they can regrow them. Also they can change their DNA to RNA to help keep their bodies warm when they go deeper into the ocean. Other animals have shown signs of superior intelligence too, such as dolphins for example. Some dolphins have been trained to use echolocation to choose the type of food they would like to eat as shown in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMZ7oOCXfP8

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    1. That was like a multiple choice test for dolphins. So cool.

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    2. I also found it incredible that octopi have the ability and intelligence to bite off its own arm if it is infected.

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  5. Octopus are more intelligent than I ever thought. In the video, the narrator talks about how the octopus can learn from watching others and can open bottles, even baby proof ones. Octopus can camouflage themselves to look like other sea creatures and were said to be the first known animals to use tools such as half a coconut to sleep in. There’s many different species of Octopus, all with different mutations. I think Octopus are intelligent, but not as intelligent as humans. But one thing humans don’t have any idea how to do that Octopus do is changing their RNA. Changing their RNA can give Octopus new mutations and help them gain intelligence, but it slows down evolution for them. Because Octopus don’t live for very long and their RNA gets changed, evolution can’t keep up with the changes and needs to slow down to understand the RNA change.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgbci0GC1vk

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    1. Jumping spiders...don't judge a brain by its size.

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  6. I learned that octopuses are one of the most intelligent species in the world, they can change their RNA and figure out toys, unlike most animals.I also learned that they are very similar to squid and cuttlefish who have interesting aspects about the too. Like being able to communicate and learn. I liked that they are intelligent enough to know how to open jars, escape out of boats, and that once a leg breaks off, they can easily grow one back. I think i'm as smart as an octopus, but in general humans don't have as sophisticated and amazing body as an octopus does. Changing its RNA is beneficial to an octopus because when they are hurt or lose a leg,they can repair their rna that they loose without causing damage to themselves. It would cause them to have a slower evolution because of them changing their RNA , it's a slower process to change and “update” the DNA for evolution because there's in constantly changing.
    Here is a video on dolphin intelligence
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bnur3gHJ0s

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    1. Lindsey,
      Dolphins are phenomenal. Are you interested in marine biology?

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    2. I also found it interesting that octopuses can open jars and grow legs back! You are definately as smart as an octopus, Lindsey!!

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  7. From both videos and New York Time’s “A Genetic Oddity May Give Octopuses and Squids their Smarts”, I have learned many things. For one I have learned that they come from a very old species, one older than humans. I also learned that they interact with many items like coconuts for defense, containers of food to get nutrients, and were even able to escape from puzzles. I’d figure I’m more intelligent than an octopus for the reason that humanity is on top, while an octopus is below, along with my capability to solve complex puzzles, while an octopus or any cephalopod is only able to solve basic puzzles or problems. A possible example of changing RNA being beneficial for the octopus would be changing it so that the pigment of the octopus would change, like if the sand in an area changes color, the octopus could too. Although some cephalopods can change color easily, some can not. Changing RNA would cause slower evolution because if it always changing, DNA would be different in many octopi, not allowing evolution to occur as a whole, because many are different. Another animal that shows superior intelligence would be the chimpanzee. In the British Broadcasting Channel’s video it shows a chimpanzee that can memorize numbers and their orders better than most humans. The chimps also know how to use computers in basic ways.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsXP8qeFF6A

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    1. Ethan,
      I wish I could have taken that memory test.

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  8. I watched all the videos and read the article and learned a ton about octopuses that I previously had no idea about. I learned that octopuses have detachable arms and can recode their RNA preventing any possibly deadly or debilitating mutations unlike humans and other vertebrates. While this ability to recode their RNA prevents deadly mutations it also prevents or at least slows their evolutionary mutations meaning they are hundreds of millions of years behind the evolution of vertebrates. I believe this lack of evolution is what makes humans more intelligent than octopuses. By evolving we have become organisms perfectly suited for the environment we are born into and have even found was to exist in the environments we are not equip for, like the ability to breathe underwater using scuba tanks and survive in sub-zero temperatures with cold weather gear. While octopuses have evolved to the point where they are perfectly suited for their environment, they have not not evolved to the point where they are capable of creating a means to live outside these conditions. Some other highly intelligent animals are chimpanzees, in fact in a research study in Japan it was proved that they have better memories than humans and can memorize and learn numbers just like humans. (the link to the video on it is below)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMHiOCD-0aI

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    1. Clare,
      Your clip is about the same memory test that Ethan shared. I love it.

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    2. That is so cool and interesting! Isn't the plural of octopus, octopi though?

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    3. This is so cool and I love how you took it an extra step to find another video, I watched it and it was really interesting.

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  9. After watching the video and reading the article about the complexity of octopuses i've learned that octopuses have short lifespan, I have always thought that they have a fairly long lifespan and that octopuses can change its own RNA. I liked how octopuses can disguise themselves to look like various different sea creatures. I don't not think human in general ( including me) are more intelligent than octopuses. An example of why changing the RNA would be beneficial would be the constant changing of water temperature, changing the RNA would help them adapt to the temperature faster. Other animals that show superior intelligence are dolphins and their ability to interact and use the environment around them.

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    1. I also thought that octopuses lived long lifespans. I think it's pretty neat how if they loose an arm they can grow it back! Also it's very intelligent of them to chew off their own infected arm in favor of growing a new healthy one.

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    2. I think that being able to adapt to one's surroundings would be such a cool thing. It is so fascinating all of the cool tricks and skills that the octopus has up its sleeve.

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  10. Octopus are so much more interesting than what I ever thought before. I knew that they had 8 legs and all that but it is crazy to see how smart they really are! The most amazing thing is how if they lose one of their legs, another one would just grow back. They also can change their RNA code. I think it is hard to tell if you are more intelligent than an octopus based on what they do in their everyday lives, and what we do, but they are very interesting animals. Changing RNA could beneficial because it could allow a single octopus gene to produce many different types of proteins from the same DNA. Changing RNA could slower evolution because octopus will not change as fast over time. Some other intelligent species are elephants, crows, pigs, and bottlenose dolphins. Here is a video on some of the smartest animals in the world: http://www.allday.com/the-worlds-smartest-animals-2180819538.html

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    1. Grace,
      Great video clip. Thank you. Which did you like the best?

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  11. I have to admit before watching the videos and reading the article provided I only knew octopus live in the ocean, are both big and small, and have eight legs hence oct. In addition, I’d like to think I’m either as intelligent or more intelligent than an octopus, but there’s a every few number of individuals who would say otherwise, even so I can unscrew lids containing food, create protection (sadly I wouldn’t fit into a coconut), blend into surroundings, learn from experiences and other’s actions though as of now I’m unable to grow a new arm when needed (although there’s always hope for the future). On the other hand, I found it fascinating that octopus have copper based instead of iron based blood, resulting in the blue color and this improves oxygen circulation in cold waters. Plus, have three hearts: two for their tentacles and one for their body. Also, some octopus live for a several months, a handful of year, or after mating. Other animals that show superior intelligence are squid, spiders, ants, baboons, sea lions, orangutans, pigeons, crows, sheep, raccoons, horses, rhesus monkeys, falcons, rats, owls, cats, squirrels, elephants, octopus, dogs, whales, parrots, bottlenose dolphins, pigs, and chimpanzees to name 25.

    Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QaPmCRhr80

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    1. Caitlyn,
      I love that you listed all 25. Your video clip rocks. University of Chicago...holy cow. That is right here. They talk about the field museum.

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    2. Wow, you listed a lot of animals. I can't believe there are that many! I am also on the same page as you...before this, I only knew very few facts about the octopus and had no clue they were so complex and intelligent!

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  12. Octopus
    From watching the videos and reading the article it is obvious how spectacular octopuses are. Being able to adapt to temperature and change their skin color and mimic other sea creatures is only a few things an octopus can do. I found it interesting how a size of an octopus can vary from 1.5 centimeters to 30 feet. The intelligence of an octopus seems much different than that of a human's. Octopuses can open jars and play with toys, but I think their real intelligence is evolutionary and survival based while human’s intelligence is more mind based. Since humans get sick we’ve created hospitals, but instead of that octopuses can eat their infected arms to grow back healthy ones. This coleoid’s only disadvantage is its short lifespan.Changing to RNA of an octopus so that they have a longer life span would help octopuses become an even more impressive species. Overall, many species are very intelligent, but octopuses have a very different amazing intelligence that scientist can learn a lot from.




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    1. I agree with you that the intelligence of an octopus is more survival based than humans. However, I think both humans and octopus are very smart.

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    2. I agree with you, octopuses are intelligent in a different way than humans which is very interesting considering how we survive and what they do to survive.

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  13. From this week’s post, the most interesting thing I learned was that when an octopus loses an arm, the arm will continue to function for about an hour all on its own, while the octopus can simply grow another healthy arm. They are incredibly powerful animals, their arms have a 30,000 pound gripping force. I don’t think that I’m as intelligent as an octopus because I forget lots of information all the time, and I am a dumb blonde who doesn’t even have blonde hair anymore! I don’t think that I could ever figure out how to unscrew jars and use tools with no instruction, which makes octopuses so amazing to learn about. Another capability that octopuses have is that they can adapt their RNA to diversify proteins in their nervous system. This slows the DNA-based evolution that typically helps organisms gain beneficial adaptations over time. How this happens is enzymes swap out some letters in the RNA code for other ones, and the modified RNA can create proteins that weren’t originally encoded in the DNA. This allows the octopus to add new riffs to its base genetic blueprint. There are tens of thousands of these sites called “recoding sites” where RNA editing results in different proteins than were initially coded. This coding is in their nervous tissues, so it could contribute to the animal’s complexity and dynamic control over their proteins in a response to the different environmental conditions or tasks to help to adapt to temperature changes. It’s crazy that the change of a few letters of their genetic makeup can have such an impact on the octopus. I am very glad that I learned more about these incredible animals and all that they can do.

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  14. I learned that if an octopus loses its arm, it is able to grow it back. I also learned that when octopus feel threatened they are able to release chemicals that cause its prey to lose their sense of smell. I think it is very interesting that they are able to camouflage themselves to many different forms. The article states that RNA recoding may help octopuses to adapt to temperature changes rapidly. According to the article, DNA mutations are depleted around the recoding sites to help preserve them. This causes slower DNA mutations which, in turn, limit adaptations. In culinary I learned that pigs are actually very smart animals, and they are very good at video games. I learned that a pig would easily beat a chimpanzee at a joystick video game even though the chimpanzee has human-like hands. https://youtu.be/0dFwx95ufEk

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    1. Isn’t that neat! Personally, I wouldn’t enjoy the process of losing my arm to begin with, but it would be cool if we, like octopus, could grow limbs if needed. The octopus is such an interesting animal, I think we could use a couple pages from their play book.

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    2. That is interesting that a pig could beat a chimpanzee in a video game.

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  15. The fact that octopi and squid could change their RNA is amazing. I knew that octopi had 4 hearts and bled blue and could literally fit itself through the tiniest crack because it has no bones, but the fact that it can change its RNA to because smarter and socially more complex is crazy. I am as smart as an octopus because i have a highly developed brain but i could never do some of the things that an octopus or squid could do. The only problem with changing RNA is the fact that it doesn't really allow DNA mutations and therefore it takes much longer to evolve because it's so good at preserving what it has. Other intelligent species are some breeds of dogs and most dolphins. Also chimps and apes have higher than normal intelligence in the animal kingdom.

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  16. It is said that if the octopus could live longer, researchers could find more information on them and they could possibly be one of the most dominant species on Earth. The octopus has three hearts, a very strong grip, blue blood, and can fit into the smallest spaces. They could have grip power of up to 30,000 pounds! I like the fact that they can grow a new leg if one gets cut/ broken off. Sometimes if a virus invades an octopus’s leg, it has to chew it off itself! They would rather have a new healthy leg grow back than an infected one. Octopi are very intelligent. They can solve problems such as screwing off a top of a bottle. Most people underestimate the octopus and don’t know half the amazing things it can do! Changing an octopus’s RNA could be beneficial because it can contribute to its natural intelligence. Although, by doing this, it can come with a price, slowing their evolution. The evolution can’t keep up with an octopus’s constant changing.

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    1. I think it would be so cool to Kearney more about them if they lived longer, because then they can be studies much more and keep developing!

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    2. I find that so weird hat they can grow a leg after it has fallen of! Imagine what our lives would be like... say if we like injured something really bad, we could just chop it off and wait for a fresh new one to grow ahahhhah.

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    3. I found the grip power thing very intresting. It's crazy to think that they are that strong

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  17. I agree with you, I also think its interesting that octopuses can camouflage themselves. I never knew that pigs where greatly intelligent animals.

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  18. Humans and octopuses are both intelligent and in their own ways. Octopuses can communicate in their own morse code just like humans communicate through different languages and body language. Octopuses are exotic because the pigment pockets under their skin make it so the skin can act as camouflage. Also, when it feels threatened, it releases chemicals that have a sense of smell that keep predators away. When an octopus loses an arm, it can grow a new one back just like a starfish. When the RNA is changed, proteins can be made that weren't originally in the DNA which can be used for the octopuses benefit. This video I found lists animals that are very intelligent just like the octopus. https://youtu.be/eQMP74-XziI

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  19. I learned that octopuses are one of the most intelligent species in the world, they can change their RNA and figure out toys, unlike most animals.I also learned that they are very similar to squid and cuttlefish who have interesting aspects about the too. Like being able to communicate and learn. I liked that they are intelligent enough to know how to open jars, escape out of boats, and that once a leg breaks off, they can easily grow one back. I think i'm as smart as an octopus, but in general humans don't have as sophisticated and amazing body as an octopus does. Changing its RNA is beneficial to an octopus because when they are hurt or lose a leg,they can repair their rna that they loose without causing damage to themselves. It would cause them to have a slower evolution because of them changing their RNA , it's a slower process to change and “update” the DNA for evolution because there's in constantly changing.

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  20. While watching these videos I learned that they can be anywhere from 1 gram to 600 pounds, they chew off own arm if there is an infection, some can hold 35 pounds with their 240 suction cups. They have a 30,000 pound gripping force and they are the first invertebra to use tools. I like how they can learn from experiences, just like humans can. They can learn how to unscrew and take off caps just from watching others. I think that we are still smarted then octopi; but they have a very unique talent on executing what they want to get done. I think a possible benefit of the RNA would be that it could give them a higher quality of natural intelligence. RNA can cause the octopus to have slower evolution because it is forever changing. Other animals that show superior intelligence are baboons, sea lions, orangutans, pigeons, crows, sheep, raccoons, horses, rhesus monkeys, falcons, rats, owls, cats, squirrels, elephants, and dogs, along with many others.

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    1. I totally agree with you about all the stuff that you wrote about octopus though I didn't know that there were so many animals with superior intelligence.

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  21. Some things I learned about octopus that I think are cool is that they have very strong grip, they can change their body colors to have camouflage, they have 3 hearts, they can adjust their body to different temperatures, they can detach their arms and grow back new ones. I would have never thought an octopus was this complex and smart. Octopus can change their RNA. This is very beneficial and really makes you think how intelligent they really are. I do not think they are as intelligent as I am but some of the things that they can do is amazing. A big benefit in changing the RNA is that you can change the proteins that were made to make new ones in the octopus benefit. This can slow evolution because it doesn't allow for mutations to occur because it is always changing. Another animal that I know has superior intelligence is the dolophin.

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  22. After watching the video, and reading the article, I learned many things about the octopus. I had always thought that octopi had long life spans, but turns out they live fairly short lives. I also learned that they can change their RNA and disguise themselves to look like various sea creatures. An example of why changing RNA would be beneficial is that the waters temperature change constantly, so an octopus can change its RNA to adapt to the change. I think that humans and octopi are at about the same level of intelligence, just in different ways. The intelligence of an octopus is survival based. If they have an infected arm, they eat it and then grow a new healthy one instead. If a human gets sick, we rely on other humans and medicines to help us get better. Overall, I’ve learned many new, interesting things about the octopus.

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    1. Something that I found interesting is that squids and octopi are in the Mollusca phylum but both live fairly short lives compared to many other animals in the phylum.

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    2. I agree with you, I thought octopi had a very long life spam and was really surprised when they said they can live for a year sometimes.

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  23. From the Article and videos I learned that Octopuses have one of the best designs when it comes to being a predator. Their intelligence is vastly superior to other sea animal and it could be in correlation to how their genes work, they are very coordinated and can open jars. They also can adapt to many situations because of their complicated genes, and because of their genes they have given up the ability to evolve. More specifically octopuses have the ability to re-code RNA which can make changes similar to evolution, This is why we see little changes in octopuses over millions of years.

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  24. Watching the videos and reading the article clearly confirms that the octopus is definitely well-equipped. Pigmented skin, copper-based blood, multiple hearts, scented ink, massive strength, smarts, and RNA-editing abilities are just a few of the things that make the octopus a well-resourced invertebrate. Yet, despite these advantages, the average life span of octopuses is 2 – 5 years. They mature fast in a short period of time with males dying after mating, and females shortly after her eggs hatch. While I found all the information about octopuses interesting, what kind of made me chuckle was their ability to open jars and play with toys. Yes, it does show a great demonstration of intellect – but how often will an octopus be opening a jar in its natural habitat? I’m more impressed with the octopuses survival smarts, making intelligent use of its innate resources. Watching the Houdini video reminded me of a pic my friend captured while taping Deadliest Catch. The octopus was found in one of the crab traps, most likely feeding off the large catch. It was obviously too busy enjoying its meal to escape the trap before being pulled onto the ship. The crew ended up returning it back into the Bearing Sea, but only after getting a few pics. (Bummed I can't get the pic to paste to this blog post)



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    1. I completely agree. Octopi are very resourceful invertebrates that are well-equipped.

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  25. I learned that octopi are basically aliens. They can change the coding of their RNA as they wish!! I think it is so cool that the species of coleoids have this special feature!! Honestly, I’m probably not as intelligent as coleoids mainly because I can’t change my own genetic coding. This could help them react to temperature changes. It can cause slower evolution becausw they can keep making all of their DNA the same. All coleoids show supior intelligence, like squid.

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    1. I also think that what they do with there RNA is cool. Its strange to think that an animal could be even more intelligent than us. I found this very interesting.

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    2. I wonder what t would be like to change your own genetic coding? what would be the positives? negatives?

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    3. They definitely do seem a lot like aliens. I agree that RNA editing would help in reacting to things like temperature changes.

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  26. Before watching the videos and before reading the article I had very limited knowledge of octopi. Learning (in depth) about their camouflage abilities was very interesting. I loved how the video went in depth to explain how it occurs in their skin pigments. It's also very weird to see that they could fit in the palm of your hand or be the size of six average sized teenagers. Not to mention the fact that they are also much more flexible than I am, as shown in "Octopus Houdini". Now, after learning more about octopi, I think it's safe to say that they are definitely further into evolution than we are.

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  27. I learned many interesting things about octopi from the videos. Within thirty seconds, I was already learning new facts. Who would've thought octopi had venomous saliva? I also found the fact that octopi can fit into such small spaces cool. It somewhat reminds me of cat videos I've watched in the past. One thing that I want to do further research on is an octopus' ability to change its size. It is mentioned near the beginning of the video but never again. I can understand the slow evolution of octopus, since a short lifespan and a constantly changing RNA code don't sound like the best combination. I do think I am more intelligent than an octopus because I have heard of countless animals, like monkeys and crows, that use tools found in the wild to their advantage. The only real difference I can find between those and the octopus is that the octopus has used manmade objects.

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  28. Octopi have many surprises, they can extraordinarily change their RNA to allow them to actually change their nervous systems to adapt to temperature. The ever so fascinating way that octopus and other invertebrates change their RNA comes at a significant price, they evolve very slowly, not nearly as fast as other organisms, so is it worth it? According to Dr. Eisenberg, in terms of natural selection it must be worth it. I would really like to think that I am as smart of an octopus, but after my new found knowledge on them, I cannot confirm nor deny. I, unfortunately, can’t grow an arm if I lose one and or camouflage myself, although it would would be cool. However, I would say that I’m pretty good at opening jars and bottles (even when they’re child proof). I’m just glad that they don’t have very long life spans because they seem to be pretty powerful organisms and a world taken over by the octopus doesn’t seem like something I want to experience.

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  29. I think that Octopi are so cool. The way they change colors amazes me. It's almost like they aren't even from this planet. But they could not do these types of things without coleoids. They can change their own DNA. How cool is that! With coleoids, we could be like Lucy in the movie Lucy and change our hair and eye color. That would be so cool.

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  30. I watched all the videos and read the article and learned a bunch of new and interesting facts about the makeup and abilities of octopi. I learned that octopuses have detachable arms and can recode their RNA to prevent deadly diseases that they could possibly catch. The ability to do this is a very beneficial thing because they won’t end up receiving certain diseases like humans or other animals. This also slows down their track of evolution because they are only capable of living in their environment. The ability to live in other environments like humans is what makes us a more intelligent species. Other animals that show superior intelligence would be the chimpanzee who have the ability to comprehend and learn to operate things no other species but humans could do.

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    1. I did not know the chimpanzee can operate things no other species but humans could do! Interesting fact!

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  31. By reading the article and watching the videos I learned how complex and interesting an octopus can be. An octopus can have the ability to change colors, grow a new arm, and change their RNA. Octopi can also have the grip strength of up to 30,000 pounds. I found it very interesting that an octopus can be able to detach its arm. I also found it very interesting how they are able to change their RNA in multiple different coding places. I would like to hope that I am as intelligent as an octopus but I know that it is most likely not probable to be true. Changing its RNA would be beneficial to an octopus because it would affect the way they are able to adapt to their environment and their ability to change their colorings, as well as how they are able to regrow their arm if necessary. The changing of RNA in an octopus would sow down their evolution because it may remove the mutation in its RNA from the DNA that would affect the natural selection and evolution of the creature. Dogs, whales, and chimpanzees are also animals that have superior intelligence.

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  32. As shown by these videos and the article, octopuses are very complex and unique creatures. I did not know much about octopuses so it was shocking for me to hear that these creatures are so intelligent, have three hearts, can regrow limbs, as well as having the seemingly limitless ability to recode their RNA. I think that octopuses are very interesting and intriguing animals that I would like to learn even more about. I’d like to think that although I can’t change color or change my RNA I am at least smarter than an octopus (although I do sometimes struggle opening jars). I think that changing RNA is very advantageous to an octopus because it could remove genetic mutations. Most things in the body are made up of proteins so I think that being able to manipulate RNA would be very useful because RNA codes for those proteins. This would mean that the octopus has a slower evolution because it is unlikely for genetic mutations to appear and those mutations are what drive mutation. The scramble of DNA when an octopus is created is not as random as other animals. Other animals that I think could rival octopuses in intelligence are apes, dolphins, elephants, dogs, and pigs because they all have been shown to be intelligent in their own unique ways.

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  33. I learned the intelligence of octopi and how crazy is it that they are able to morph their bodies the way they can. Did you see the hole it fit through? That was crazy! They are very smart creatures, and are able to adapt to their surroundings very well. The ability to camouflage is a very interesting trait the octopus has. It's like the chameleon of the sea! And for a video, there are a few bad words to warn you, definitely my favorite animal and a very smart one too https://youtu.be/ZRDIHcFRPFs

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  34. After reading about and watching the videos about octopi, I learned a lot. I learned that octopi can regrow arms they lose and can potentially grip something with 30,000 pounds of force. However, the most interesting thing I learned was that octopi can edit their RNA. This is a really cool thing to be able to do, the down side of constantly changing RNA is that the frequent changes slow down the evolution process. I think octopi and humans are both smart in their own way. While octopi can regrow arms and edit RNA on a whim, they have never been to the moon. However, it was interesting to hear that scientists think that octopi could be a dominant species if they lived longer. Another species with impressive intelligence are chimpanzees, scientists believe have entered their own stone age.

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  35. It’s amazing that octopi, unlike any other animal, have achieved behavioral sophistication just like vertebrates. Also it was found that they can edit their RNA from what it already is to code for things that may not have already been there. It helps them adapt with such things like helping to rapidly adapt to temperature changes and manipulating their nervous system. There is so much that they can do that humans can only dream of doing, and if the right research is done we can learn a lot that might help solve future problems. I like how they can change color to blend in with their surroundings. RNA would slow octopi evolution because they’re already changing things faster than evolution would normally take. All in all they are truly incredible creatures.

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  36. During the video, I not only learned that octopi change their RNA code to work better in the cold, but they also can detach an arm to grow back a better, healthier one. I liked how an octopus can open things such as toys and bottle caps. I do think I am as intelligent as an octopus even though the complexity of our bodies isn’t the same and we both have different instincts. Changing the RNA can be beneficial to an octopus if they suddenly move to a more dangerous region of the ocean with colder water. Maybe changing the RNA is what causes octopi to have a shorter life span, but the process slows evolution simply because the octopus is changing its RNA code from what it should actually be. An example of an intelligent animal is a pig. Pigs roll around in mud because they don't have sweat glands and the mud helps them cool off. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TuXYXq8Lznw

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  37. Humans and octopuses are definitely intelligent in different ways, based on what we do to survive and what they do. They can change their RNA to heal themselves, change colors and do even more like opening jars, and I think it would be very beneficial mostly to make survival easier. “Conventional wisdom says that RNA acts as a messenger, passing instructions from DNA to protein builders in a cell, but sometimes, enzymes swap out some letters — the ACGU you might have learned about in school — in the RNA’s code for others. When that happens, modified RNA can create proteins that weren’t originally encoded in the DNA, allowing an organism to add new riffs to its base genetic blueprint” (Steph Yin). This could make evolution slower because their bodies have to keep changing and getting used to the new RNA changes could take long rather than if they always have the same RNA. New York Times wrote that coleoids are the only “animal lineage that has really achieved behavioral sophistication” other than vertebrates. However, many animals show superior intelligence such as primates like gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons, etc. which is really fascinating. Octopuses are especially fascinating like the one in the video that changed its RNA to fit through a small space.

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  38. I Learned that among other things octopus have detachable sex organs. They can impersonate other sea creatures such as sea snakes and jellyfish. They can regrow their arms easily and may even chew off their own arm if it gets infected. They have no bones which allows them to fit into and through small spaces. I really liked the way that the octopus could camouflage and change color easily. And found it interesting that they live for such a short time. I think that octopus are more intelligent than us because they can change their RNA which helps them to adapt to new environments by allowing them to synthesize different proteins. This slows down evolution because the parents can adapt which means not as many die from the environment which is what leads evolution, a change in environment which forces a species to change.

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  39. I learned a lot about the Octopi, and how they can recode their DNA to transform into various different forms. The most surprising thing/event that occurred was that the body was able to fit into that small space. It reminds me of superheroes, like Ant-Man or even movie characters such as Transformers. Another thing that was fascinating to me was that they can also camouflage, almost like chameleons.

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  40. With humans and octopuses being such different creatures, I do not think there is a true way to test the level of intelligence between the two. Octopuses are able to change their RNA, which helps them with tasks such as camouflage and healing. This makes surviving in a dangerous habitat, such as the ocean, much easier. Even though they are able to do this, it doesn't make them more intelligent because it is just an advantage they have, and humans have others. The change of RNA has the potential to slow down evolution because of the constant change in their bodies, meaning that heir is really no base to evolve off of. Several animals show superior intelligence such as rats, pigs, dogs, dolphins, and cats.

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    1. I agree with you on how it is hard to compare humans with these organisms when it comes to intelligence. They are certainly very different from us.

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  41. After watching the video and reading the articles I learned that octopi can change their RNA and have an ability to camouflage themselves. I liked their ability to regrow lost arms. I do think that I am smarter than an octopus because of institutions like school.

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    1. I think that it's pretty cool that octopi can regrow arms.

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    2. I agree that we are definitely the smarter species because we have education. But octopuses are capable of many things that humans can't even dream of doing, and I think that's really cool.

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  42. I think that its pretty cool that octopi can regrow arms. It's also pretty cool that they can change their RNA. I think that octopi might be smarter then humans because of their ability to change RNA can help them adapt to their environment.

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    1. I agree that the arm regrowing was a really cool thing to see. I also agree that octopi could be considered smarter than humans and able to do some much more complicated things.

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  43. I learned that octopi have a lot of RNA modifier spots in their body which is more than us humans have as well. I liked that the octopi are smart and how they are able to open jars and squeeze through very tight spaces. I think that I am smarter than an octopus because we as humans actually learn things that we need to know and octopi learn how to survive in the water and how to catch their food.The changing in the octopi RNA could change the change color of the octopus to get away from a predator or to hide.

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  44. I think humans are much smarter than octopuses but there are many cool things that they can do that we can't. They can regrow limbs and camouflage themselves. I learned that octopuses can change their RNA, this could beneficial because they can change themselves to adapt to the environment.

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  45. Comparing a human's intelligence to an octopuses intelligence is like comparing apples to oranges. Octopi are smart creatures, and humans are too, but testing for intelligence in animals is hard. They are definitely well equipped animals with the extra hearts and ink shooting capabilities. They're smart creatures, but each creature is smart in it's own way. for instance, when you look at a pig rolling in mud, you will realize that they're doing that to cool themselves down, which is very intelligent. intra species intelligence is all in perspective, so it is very hard to test to see which one is smarter.

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  46. I watched the videos and read the article, and I learnt a lot of interesting things about the abilities of octopi. For example, I leart that octopi have detachable arms and can also recode their RNA for survival. Being able to do this is a cool thing because not very many other species like humans can do that. But, slows down their track of evolution since they are only capable of living in their environment. The ability to live in other environments is what makes humans intelligent, and the ability of octopi is what make them unique.

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  47. After reading the article about octopuses, I am so amazed at how extraordinary these creatures are. I had no idea that they were capable of altering their own RNA, and with such ease at that! Personally I’ve always been fascinated with cuttlefish, and being able to learn more about the other organisms in their family was a big plus. When comparing my intelligence to that of an octopus's’, it’s hard to determine that as we are so different, and there are many different ways to be considered intelligent. Although, it is definitely fascinating to picture what these creatures are capable of. Being able to alter RNA would be very useful right now. Climate change is affecting the temperature of seas and oceans, and the octopi would need to be able to adapt to these changes quickly, or else risk being in a very dangerous situation. Of course, changing RNA would affect evolution because notable traits and behaviors would not stand out, and therefore natural selection would not be as effective because desirable aspects could be picked up by many octopi. The rate of evolution, though already slow, would be drastically delayed compared to other organisms. Among coleoids, birds have been able to demonstrate a lot of intelligence, as many are able to construct tools in order to receive food.
    Here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDmCxUncIyc

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  48. After watching the fascinating videos and reading the article I learned that octopuses can regrow arms and can potentially grip something with 30,000 pounds of force. This alone can alter what we know, therefore, finding out octopuses are able to change their RNA, which helps them with tasks such as camouflage and healing is groundbreaking. Seeing such superior animals in comparison to human abilities can help the human race learn more and find out the potential capabilities of humans. The change of RNA could slow down evolution because of the constant change in their bodies, although the advancement in science as studies with RNA could be just as important as the progression of the animals. More intelligent animals are elephants, crows, otters, whales, and parrots.

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  49. I was able to find some very cool and interesting information on the octopus that I never previously knew. The very first thing that caught my attention in the article was to hear that the octopus can communicate with its own morse code. It was also very cool to watch the video and see an octopus make its way out of the boat. Hands down the most fascinating thing I heard was that octopi can change the RNA. It was said in the article that scientists found thousands of recoding sites in the octopus that allow the RNA after being edited to result in a completely different protein than originally coded by the DNA. After learning about our DNA unit and trying to remember some of the stuff we talked about in that unit I was able to appreciate how cool this information was.

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  50. After watching the video learned a lot of cool stuff about octopi like how many can control their shape, size and color. First, I learned that when an octopus releases its ink it not only creates a visual distraction, but also helps mask the scent of the octopus. Then, it talked abut how an octopus can regrow an new arm after it lost it in battle or if it feels an infected arm needs to be terminated and replaced. The video also talks about how in the right conditions an octopus can grip up to thirty-thousand pounds. It then talks about how if octopi didn't have such short life spans that they could be the of the most dominate organisms on earth, as they collect lots of information and are intelligent enough to use half of a coconut shells and hide in them as protection. The video ends with talking about octopi can open baby proof bottles, have iron based blood and three hearts plus some can impersonate over 30 other organisms.

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